Samsung confirms 970 Evo Plus SSD hardware change, 980 Pro may be affected
Samsung silently updated the 970 Evo Plus SSD last month and changed components, a new controller, TLC NAND, and firmware. Some benchmarks indicated the impact of the change: the SSD performs better in some circumstances, but not so much in others. In other words, it became a completely different product under the same SKU name.
Samsung has issued a statement confirming the change of hardware and software:
“To ensure continued production of the popular Samsung 970 EVO Plus, Samsung has decided to upgrade the controller and NAND in the 970 EVO Plus and has updated the firmware to the new version "3B2QEXM7". The changes were dictated by global shortages affecting the production and availability of many components and devices.We believe that by increasing the intelligent TurboWrite buffer and optimizing software, our devices will even better meet the growing needs of consumers and improve the overall user experience.
With the release of the new version of the 970 EVO Plus drive, Samsung has posted an updated datasheet on its website. In the event of subsequent component updates, the company will keep the entire change history available on an ongoing basis to ensure transparent communication with customers.”
Because of the persistent shortages of components, Samsung would have chosen to employ alternative components. According to the corporation, with the advent of the revision came the publication of a new datasheet. Additionally, a full changelog will be made accessible in the future to assist in such situations. There is "clear communication with the customer" in this manner.
The manufacturer may be considering making similar changes to the 980 Pro. In addition, like with the 970 Evo Plus, a revised datasheet has been discovered, in which changes have been made: the new version refers to the new version as a Samsung in-house controller rather than a Samsung Elpis controller, and the description of TurboWrite technology has been updated.
A comparison of the old and new datasheets of the 970 Evo Plus and 980 Pro can be checked below.
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Senior Member
Posts: 3867
Joined: 2009-09-08
This type of moves are so bad and so lame...
Would it hurt to create a new version and explain buyers the reason for the change?...
I´m already preparing myself to the future news that WD also changed parts in their SN850 NVMEs...
Senior Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 2014-09-21
If you change the performance of something, you change the name of it. You add something to the end or change it completely, there's no excuse for this but greed and dishonesty
Senior Member
Posts: 1816
Joined: 2012-04-30
common with certain brands, usually money, not "shortages", like they only have 1 warehouse, with 5 items on the shelf,
nor do you plan to buy supply stuff "weekly" like your groceries, and ignoring that the pandemic didnt start yesterday, or that its the same for all.
some seem to not care to read.
literally the FIRST sentence in the manual/warranty booklet(legal things stamped 2020) :
Samsung reserves the right to change Products/Information/Specifications WITHOUT notice.
while i dont see it ok, and would prefer something like V1.1 etc, legally they have to do ZERO.
outside that i doubt you will have any chance in court, as those things are sold certain with things like perf/life expectance (5 GB/s, 5y) listed,
not what controller/nand is used.
Senior Member
Posts: 2235
Joined: 2017-08-18
this is the same line of thinking that led to smaller portions at the same price for certain groceries.
but it is wrong. they can can simply offer a new model or add a decimal, because this is truly skirting with deceptive advertising.
WD is being punished as they should be for in that case it was fraud. in the Samsung case they at least can show a spec or two of performance.
but Samsung is a premium brand where even their "more affordable" models are still premium price points. WD did this in the "Blue" series, but this is Evo.
Senior Member
Posts: 3372
Joined: 2007-05-31
It's not the 1st time they do that, they even have changed the type of nand on the PRO serie without communicate on it (MLC to TLC at first and QLC on 2to and more recentely then step back to TLC... Samsung consider TLC and QLC as MLC depending from where the wind blow... On pro side things need to be clear (and we paid for that) )